Lifetime acquires Seoul-based Roiworld

Will open studio in South Korea to develop casual games

The company has acquired Seoul-based casual gaming upstart Roiworld.com and will open a studio there to create more such games. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Lifetime intends to launch more than 1,000 female-targeted casual games beginning early next year that focus on the "dress up" genre, which mixes user-generated content, social networking and virtual worlds all connected to fashion.

"With this acquisition, we see the potential to pioneer a new frontier in women's digital entertainment," Lifetime president and CEO Andrea Wong said. "Our audience looks to Lifetime to provide an escape -- in the digital space and on all platforms. With Roiworld.com, we're creating another way to provide more women with more great entertainment."

With Roiworld.com, Lifetime is capitalizing on the success of casual gaming on its digital properties, where the category is its biggest draw. Lifetime already has a deal in place with RealNetworks to provide gaming for myLifetime.com.

Kris Soumas, head of Lifetime Games, will oversee the new acquisition. Lifetime Game Studios Korea, which will also have a U.S. arm based in San Francisco, will be run by Kiseo Kim, founder of Roiworld.com.